Lesson Learned
by jellyelly22
Summary: "My Lady, I don't understand! I did everything right! I followed every instruction you taught me! So, why, why did he die?" Sakura was crying, not just crying, it was hysterical crying. She was screaming at her master while tears streamed down her face..." ONE-SHOT!


**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or the characters. If I did Jiraiya wouldn't have died and he would be with Tsunade.**

**A/N: I got this idea off of a picture of Tsunade and Sakura in a hospital room and there is a dead patient and Sakura looks really upset. **

"You can't save them all."

She tried, she really did. It was her second day on the job and she failed. She couldn't believe it. How could she let her master down? She trusted her enough and allowed her to take the hospital shift by herself and she screwed it up…or so she thought.

Her master walked over to the window and stuck her hands in the pockets of her over coat. She continued to stare out the window; she remembered what it was like losing her first patient. It was a horrible feeling, but she had to get used to it. She was a medical-nin, it was part of the job.

"My Lady, I don't understand! I did everything right! I followed every instruction you taught me! So, why, why did he die?" Sakura was crying, not just crying, it was hysterical crying. She was screaming at her master while tears streamed down her face.

Her master didn't even turn around; she never flinched at her student's sudden outburst. She expected her to freak out, she expected her to yell and shout.

"Sakura, you need to understand that there was nothing you could have done, he was a dead-man walking. You couldn't have saved him; he was dead the second he got in this hospital an hour after his injuries were inflicted. I know it's hard, and that it makes you feel like crap, but that's the way it will have to be if you're going to be part of the medical core. I don't want to be harsh sounding because I know how you're feeling, but I'm not going to lie to you."

Sakura sat down on a bench at the end of the examination table and leaned forward placing her elbows on her knees, tears still streaming down her cheeks. "Why did you assign him to me if you knew he was going to die? Why didn't you just take him on as a patient instead? Why put this on me?" Tsunade knew exactly why she gave her this patient. She knew Sakura had to learn sometime what it would be like to lose a patient. Sakura needed to learn this message if she wanted to become anything like her master.

"Look, I did this for your own good. I know what it's like to lose patients as well as comrades because I couldn't save them. It was time you learned this lesson for yourself. You're good, Sakura; your skills will eventually surpass mine. But, no matter how much skill you have, you won't be able to heal every wound that you come upon." Tsunade turned and walked over and sat down next to her apprentice. "This lesson is a very important one for a medical ninja to learn. I know that you feel like shit. Trust me, I know, but the worst thing you can do is give up," Tsunade said, pushing a strand of hair that fell out of Sakura's headband. Tsunade did feel a little bad making her student learn the lesson that way, but it was needed. She thought of Sakura as a daughter that she never had and she hated making her that upset. She hated to see the crystal clear liquid run down her pale face.

"Does it get ever get better?" Sakura's voice was soft and timid, like she was afraid to ask the question because she was afraid of the answer.

"Sometimes… I would love to tell you that the first one is hardest to get through but that would be a lie. It's one of the hardest, but the hardest one that will stick with you forever is the person who is important to you. Once you lose them, all the others seem easy. For instance, if you think this one is hard, imagine if you couldn't heal Naruto on the battle field and he died." Tsunade knew how that felt. She loved Dan, and even though she tried to save him, she could not. That was the one that devastated her, after his death she gave up and stopped treating people in general. Tsunade didn't want that for her student. She didn't want her to give up on becoming a medical ninja.

"I can't even imagine that. D-Did that happen to you Lady Tsunade?" Sakura asked.

"Yes, and I gave up on being a medical ninja for a long time. I wanted nothing to do with it. I don't want you to ever do that Sakura. I know that not being able to save one person sucks, but you must not follow after me in every way."

Sakura nodded her head. "I understand, My Lady. I won't give up, I swear!" she said, looking more upbeat than she was before.

"Good." Tsunade smiled and stood up to prepare the body for a funeral. Sakura stood and tried to help her master, but Tsunade grabbed her wrist to stop her. "You don't need to help. You have done enough for today. Go home and rest," Tsunade demanded, letting go of Sakura's wrist.

Sakura nodded her head and turned to walk out the door, closing it on her way out. Tsunade let out a large sigh as she pulled the sheet over the dead man's face. "She had to learn sooner or later and I rather it be now than in the battle field." Tsunade walked over to the door and before she left she turned back to look at the body under the sheet. "Rest in peace, fellow shinobi." With that last statement she turned out the lights and closed the door on her way out.

**A/N: Well, there it is. I hope it wasn't too boring. Please review.**


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